My well water is yellow during and right after a rain storm. Why?

Question

Bought an old house. Water comes from a well under a concrete patio. We can access through a metal grate. Old farm area and don't know if well is shallow or deep. We have water softner equipment, but don't drink it anyhow. Wash clothes, operate toilet, and shower with water which normally is clear. But rain makes it turn light yellow.

Also my wife says I shouldn't have used Scot's weed & feed for nitrates could get in water, but I don't think so and doesn't make water turn yellow?

Answer 1

You might have iron in your water. You should get it tested.

"Yellow or red colored water is often a good indication that iron is present. However, a testing laboratory can determine the exact amount of iron, which can be useful in determining the best type of treatment. In addition to testing for iron, it can be of value to also test for hardness, pH, alkalinity, and iron bacteria. County health departments may offer some of these tests."

Answer 2

Your house probably has a cistern under the front porch. I used to live in an old farm house that had something similar going on. The gutter system had a valve of sorts that would divert water to the lawn one way, and to the cistern set the other way. The old timers didn't like wasting a precious thing like water. It is my guess that you have a similar set-up and that the old steel gutters or pipes are rusting and adding color to the water. It would probably be a good idea to add a whole house filter.

Answer 3

Probably the well pipe itself has rusted a hole in at at a dept of about 8 or 10 feet. This is what usually happens. These older wells had steel pipe and they rusted out.

You can take this existing well and put a plastic pipe right inside the steel one and save the well. This is commonly done by well repairmen.

Id say it is only going to get worse as dirt will begin to fill the entire well pipe. That hole in there will let dirt into the well pipe.

You will need to act now to save your well. You will need a well man to do the repairs.

That rusty and dirty water will soon stain all of your fixtures beyond the point of recognition.

Answer 4

Deep or shallow is irrelevant. You, obviously have a dug well. What is on the ground will find it's way into your well. Dug well's tend to have a lot of surface water in them unless they are made of concrete pipe and sealed down at least 15-20 feet..Break out your wallet and spend $8000 and have a drilled well installed..Better safe than sorry..Keep all the crud, fertilizer and dead mice out of the well.. Mice tend to flop into many a well..Mmmmmm delicious..

Answer 5

You've got a open shallow well, most Counties that I know of would not permit this. It would be condemned.
Being a former MedLab supervisor and have tested wells for the County, you wouldn't believe what's probably living in your well water that you can't see.

You'd better think of having a safe deep well dug and fill this one in.

Answer 6

surface water is running into your well....no nitrates dont make water turn yellow but since surface water is running into your well when it rains so are the nitrates.......need to check well seal and make sure it is tight and all the holes in it are sealed and vent pipe is higher than water level under metal grate

Answer 7

You probably have some runoff coming into your well from around the actually bore hole .
This should not cause a problem because it is most probably just natural nutrients or sediment leeching from the soil around your well hence why it happens after a good shower.

Answer 8

Sorry man, but when it rains, I usually go "tinkle" in a neighbor's well...small world, eh???